COVID-19 vaccination rates on the North Coast continue to climb, with 60 per cent of those eligible receiving their first dose and 32 per cent their second, as of August 29.
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This compares to respective rates of 67 per cent and 36 per cent for NSW and 58 per cent and 34 per cent Australia-wide.
The number of first dose recipients is highest in the Port Macquarie-Hastings, Bellingen, Ballina and Nambucca local government areas (LGAs), falling into a 60-70 per cent band.
In the LGAs of Tweed, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Kyogle, Richmond Valley and Lismore, 50-60 per cent of residents have received their first vaccine dose. The figure is 40-50 per cent in the Byron Shire.
Healthy North Coast chief executive Julie Sturgess said additional supplies of the Pfizer vaccine due this month (September) should see vaccination rates rise significantly.
There were no new cases of COVID-19 reported on the Mid North Coast today (September 6).
West Kempsey and Wauchope are the latest wastewater treatment plant sites detecting virus fragments and residents in these areas are being urged to come forward for testing.
Read more: West Kempsey 'get tested' call remains
Deputy premier John Barilaro made special mention of the communities of Wee Waa and Narrabri who had among the lowest vaccination rates in the state.
A walk in vaccination clinic was set up in those communities at the weekend and more than 1000 people came forward for the jab.
Transmission numbers continue to grow in western NSW with 44 new cases overnight - 35 of those were in Dubbo, six in Bourke, two in Orange and one in Narromine.
There were a further six cases in Broken Hill and one in Wilcannia.
In the Hunter-New England Health District there were five more cases and eight on the Central Coast.
Sewage detection has picked up virus fragments in wastewater at Byron Bay.
NSW records 1281 new COVID-19 cases, five deaths
NSW has recorded 1281 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
Five deaths have also been recorded including:
- A man in his 90s from south east Sydney died at St George Hospital. He was a resident of St George Aged Care Facility in Bexley and acquired his infection there.
- A woman in her 80s from northern Sydney died at Ryde Hospital.
- A woman in her 50s from western Sydney died at Westmead Hospital.
- A woman in her 80s from western Sydney died at Westmead Hospital.
- A man in his 60s from Southern Highlands died at home.
There have been 131 COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since the current outbreak started on June 16 and 187 in total since the start of the pandemic.
There have been 29,253 locally acquired cases reported since June 16.
There are currently 1071 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 177 people in intensive care, 67 of whom require ventilation.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said those in hospital spanned all age groups.
"It is critical that we understand that COVID presents risk across all age groups, so please get vaccinated," she said.
READ MORE:
Of the 1281 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night they spanned a wide range of local health districts (LHD) as follows:
- 483 are from South Western Sydney LHD,
- 348 are from Western Sydney LHD,
- 137 are from Sydney LHD,
- 118 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD,
- 67 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD,
- 44 are from Western NSW LHD,
- 22 are from Northern Sydney LHD,
- 21 are from Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD,
- eight are from Central Coast LHD,
- seven are from Far West LHD,
- five are from Hunter New England LHD,
- five are from Southern NSW LHD,
- seven are in correctional settings, and
- nine cases are yet to be assigned to an LHD.
NSW Health's sewage surveillance program has detected fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 in Byron Bay, where they are no known cases.
"In terms of suburbs of concern, Greenacre, Georges Hall, Auburn, Dubbo, Bass Hill, Guildford, Merrylands, Punchbowl, Blacktown and Yagoona. I am also calling out the Central Coast, and some areas in Wollongong are also seeing cases," Dr Chant said.
"It is important that no-one in the community is complacent. Case numbers outside the LGA is of concern are also increasing, so everyone needs to get tested if they have the most minimal of symptoms."
There was one overseas acquired case in the 24 hours to 8pm last night while 136,455 COVID-19 tests were reported, compared with the previous day's total of 115,495.
NSW Health administered 31,903 COVID-19 vaccines in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, including 2538 at the vaccination centre at Sydney Olympic Park and 10,347 at the vaccination centre at Qudos Bank Arena.
The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 7,543,522, with 2,829,302 doses administered by NSW Health to 8pm last night and 4,714,220 administered by the GP network and other providers to 11:59pm on Saturday, September 4.
Get tested
There are COVID-19 testing clinics located across the Mid North Coast LHD at Kempsey, Bellingen, Coffs Harbour, Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Port Macquarie, Lake Cathie, South West Rocks, Wauchope and Woolgoolga.
Drive through test clinics are open at Lake Cathie sports fields, Port Macquarie Regional Stadium and Wauchope Showground.
There is also a drive through testing site at Kempsey's Riverside Park reserve at the Austral Street boat ramp.
A full list of clinic locations and opening hours are listed on the NSW government website at www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/how-to-protect-yourself-and-others/clinics.
There are more than 475 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW, many of which are open seven days a week.
Get vaccinated
The Mid North Coast Local Health District is vaccinating its staff and eligible members of the community when appointments become available.
The local health district has moved its COVID-19 vaccination clinic from Port Macquarie Base Hospital to 35 Grant Street.
Go to the online COVID-19 vaccine eligibility checker to find out when and where you can receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
You can also speak with your local participating pharmacist or GP about the vaccine that is right for you.
Kim Chappell
As Senior Producer - Digital for ACM's regional titles I assist newsrooms in digital best practice. Before this role, I was the digital journalist with ACM's national team and prior to that, the digital specialist with ACM's Agricultural division. I started as a general rounds journalist with The Land in 2006, moving up to hold the title of chief of staff before switching to digital reporting in 2015.
As Senior Producer - Digital for ACM's regional titles I assist newsrooms in digital best practice. Before this role, I was the digital journalist with ACM's national team and prior to that, the digital specialist with ACM's Agricultural division. I started as a general rounds journalist with The Land in 2006, moving up to hold the title of chief of staff before switching to digital reporting in 2015.
